A Raptors Resurgence?: While the Toronto Raptors have already clinched the Atlantic Division and are still very much in play for the No. 3 seed in the East, the team has been in a slump for more than a month. Since beating the Atlanta Hawks on February 20, Toronto had lost 10 straight to opponents over .500 during a 6-13 stretch overall. Despite their still-impressive record, they've looked like a squad that could be upset in the first round.

It's just one game, but the Raptors' 99-96 home win over the Houston Rockets on Monday may represent a change in fortune. DeMar DeRozan was the biggest reason for the victory, in part because of this tough jumper to put Toronto up three points with 18 seconds remaining in regulation:

The NBA's year-end awards identify some of key players in any given season, from the most valuable to the most improved to the most productive rookie. Yet these accolades don't always communicate what certain players mean to the league on a nightly basis. For instance, take two of this season's frontrunners — likely Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins and highly regarded Most Improved Player candidate Rudy Gobert. Both young men have made statements as top players for lottery-bound teams, but they have arguably received more attention for standing out as must-watch, highly ready performers. They are budding stars who already lead the league in internet attention.

It's fitting, then, that Wiggins and Gobert were involved in one of the season's top dunks during the second quarter of Monday night's game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz at the Target Center.

Wonderful Warriors: With a 108-95 win at the Milwaukee Bucks, the Golden State Warriors have clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and will have homecourt advantage in every playoff series at least until the NBA Finals. The team's 60th win also broke a franchise record for victories previously set in 1975-76, the last time they finished with the conference's best record.

MVP candidate Steph Curry led the way with 25 points on 8-of-13 FG and 6-of-9 3FG, drawing to within 25 of his record for most triples in a single season. That mark is in sight with nine games left, but it's unclear how much Curry will play with the team's regular season goals already met.

The state of Indiana and its governor Mike Pence have received substantial criticism over this week for the passage and signing of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a law that keeps state and local government from prohibiting individuals and businesses from expressing strongly held religious beliefs. Critics believe that the measure provides cover for discrimination against and denial of service to LGBT individuals in practice, among other concerns. Many individual organizations have spoken out against the measure, including the Indianapolis-headquartered NCAA, which will also hold the Men's Basketball Final Four in the city next weekend. President Mark Emmert clearly expressed his displeasure with the law on Thursday, reiterating its commitment to welcoming all people to its tournaments and events.

With 10 games left to play, Coach of the Year favorite Mike Budenholzer will need to find a balance between resting key players and getting the team into championship shape in advance of the postseason. The good news for the Hawks is that they should be fine in the opening round regardless of how they fare in games 73 through 82. Sometimes it pays to play in the East.

Notorious billionaire entrepreneur, tech guru, and outspoken owner Mark Cuban brought Ellis into the spotlight for other reasons, though. After one non-call, Cuban took to Twitter to complain about his leading scorer's inability to get to the free-throw line:

It's criminal how Monta doesn't get callsPushed.Hit in face.Hit on arm.Im tired of turning in calls.Fans need to post video to wake NBA up.

The Washington Wizards have had a disappointing second half of the season, but the continued strong play of John Wall has been a saving grace. Although not without his share of stinkers, the All-Star point guard has played up to his reputation and kept the Wizards within shouting distance of homecourt advantage in the first round. Even when the Wizards eventually lose, Wall usually does his part.

Wall kept Washington in another game Friday night, although this time it ended with a victory. Down 96-94 to the Charlotte Hornets with seconds on the clock, the Wizards got the ball to Wall off the inbounds pass and saw him send the game to overtime for the second consecutive game with a pull-up jumper:

Conventional NBA wisdom says that a team that has not made the conference since 1976, is led by a head coach who had never served on any staff prior to this season, and boasts zero players with any NBA Finals appearances does not have the experience to win a title. It could be worth remembering that there's a first time for everything, though, because the Golden State Warriors are playing well enough to buck those trends.

Friday's big win against the second-best team in the conference was a team effort, as usual, but MVP candidate Stephen Curry was the obvious star of the show. Curry went for 38 points (8-of-12 3FG), 10 assists, and three steals in 34 minutes, scoring 17 of his points during a 31-16 third quarter that essentially decided the result.

Rod Hundley, one of the greatest players in West Virginia Mountaineers history and a fixture in the NBA for nearly 50 years, has died at 80 years old. The first-overall pick in the 1957 NBA Draft, known by his nickname "Hot Rod," made two All-Star teams as a member of the Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers before moving to the broadcast booth, where he served as the longtime television and radio play-by-play man of the New Orleans and Utah Jazz.

Current West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins tweeted the news on Friday night:

West Virginia lost a dear friend today as Hot Rod Hundley has passed away. He will be dearly missed. Rod not only.... pic.twitter.com/aH4ooE56Aw

The Jazz began a long social media tribute to the franchise legend with this tweet:

Thursday's lone game was a notable one for the playoff picture, with the Milwaukee Bucks beating the Indiana Pacers 111-107 to maintain their hold on sixth place and send the losers into a virtual three-way tie for ninth place in the East. Nevertheless, a single result is not going to change the postseason landscape too much. With that in mind, we've decided to eschew an in-depth breakdown on the Bucks win and turn our attention to a heavy 13-game Friday with several games of note. Read on for a look at the biggest matchups and how they could impact the standings.

The Houston Rockets made it very clear that Dwight Howard's return to the court in Wednesday's visit to the New Orleans Pelicans would not find the eight-time All-Star pushing the limits of the sore right knee that had kept him out since January 23. Based on that expectation, Howard's first game back was a success, even if it provided few opportunities to judge his current level of play.

Howard started and played his as-expected 16 minutes in the Rockets' 95-93 victory over the Pelicans, logging four points (2-of-3 FG), seven rebounds (all defensive), two assists, a block, and four fouls in a clearly secondary role. The mere fact that he played in a real NBA game is good news for the Rockets as they jockey for seeding and prepare for the playoffs, but this game also served as a reminder that Howard is not at his typical star level and may not be at any point again this season.